Best Canon Landscape Photography Kit
Last Updated: June, 2026
If I were building a Canon landscape photography kit today, these are the cameras and lenses I would use. Although Canon is not the system I currently use for my own landscape photography, I shot with Canon cameras for many years before eventually switching systems. Canon offers a strong selection of cameras and lenses for landscape photography, and the recommendations in this guide reflect the gear I would personally choose if I were building a Canon kit today.
My goal with this guide is to recommend the Canon cameras and lenses I would choose if I were starting from scratch today. To do that, I've focused on a camera body recommendation, a versatile two-lens kit, a more specialized three-lens kit, and a few dedicated astrophotography lenses for photographers who want even greater low-light performance or plan to make astrophotography a major focus.
My Philosophy
When it comes to landscape photography gear, I don't believe there's a single perfect kit.
The best camera and lens combination isn't always the one with the highest specifications or the absolute best image quality. Instead, it's the combination that best balances image quality, versatility, portability, and cost for the way you actually photograph.
Throughout my own photography, I've found that practical considerations matter just as much as technical performance. A lighter kit may encourage you to hike farther, a more versatile lens may reduce lens changes in the field, and a smaller camera may be the difference between bringing it with you or leaving it at home. After all, gear only provides value if you're willing to carry it with you.
In most cases, I believe landscape photographers are best served by either a simple two-lens kit that prioritizes versatility or a three-lens kit built around dedicated wide-angle, standard, and telephoto zooms. A well-designed two-lens kit can cover an enormous range of focal lengths while keeping size and weight to a minimum, while a three-lens kit typically offers higher image quality and greater flexibility at the cost of carrying more gear. Because versatility is such an important part of the two-lens approach, I generally prefer an f/2.8 ultra-wide zoom so the kit remains capable of landscape astrophotography without requiring additional lenses.
That's why the recommendations in this guide focus not only on image quality, but also on real-world usability. Whether you prefer a lightweight two-lens setup or a more specialized three-lens kit, the goal is to build a system that performs well in the field while maintaining a practical balance between image quality, versatility, portability, and cost.
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Recommended Canon Landscape Photography Gear
Camera
Canon R5
Lower-Cost Alternative: Canon R6 II
Two-Lens Kit
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM
Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM
Three-Lens Kit
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM
Lower-Cost Alternative: Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USMCanon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Lower-Cost Alternative: Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
Astrophotography Lenses
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM
Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM
Why These Cameras & Lenses Made the Cut
Canon R5
The Canon R5 combines high resolution, excellent image quality, and strong overall performance in a package that is particularly well suited to landscape photography. The 45-megapixel sensor provides plenty of resolution for cropping and large prints, while Canon's RF lens lineup offers access to some of the best lenses currently available for the system. Although newer cameras are available, the R5 remains the Canon camera I would choose for landscape photography because its combination of resolution, image quality, and price continues to make it one of the most compelling options in Canon's lineup.
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Canon R6 Mark II
If the cost of the Canon R5 is prohibitive, the Canon R6 Mark II is the camera I would recommend instead. While it offers less resolution than the R5, it still delivers excellent image quality and provides access to Canon's RF ecosystem at a significantly lower price point. Although the newer Canon R6 Mark III is also an excellent camera, its higher price places it much closer to the R5, making the R6 Mark II the option I would choose for photographers looking to maximize value.
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Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM
The Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L serves as the wide-angle recommendation in both my Two-Lens Kit and Three-Lens Kit. It provides the ultra-wide focal lengths that are often useful for landscape photography while also offering a fast f/2.8 aperture that allows it to double as a landscape astrophotography lens. Combined with excellent image quality throughout the zoom range, it's the wide-angle lens I would choose as the foundation of a Canon landscape photography system.
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Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM
The Canon RF 24-240mm is what makes the Two-Lens Kit possible. Rather than carrying separate standard and telephoto zooms, this lens provides coverage from wide-angle to telephoto in a single package, making it an excellent choice for hiking, travel, and photographers who prefer carrying less gear. Superzoom lenses like this tend to compromise a bit of image quality in exchange for their extensive zoom range, with much of that compromise typically appearing near the edges and corners of the frame. One way to minimize this weakness is to shoot slightly wider than your intended composition and then crop during post-processing.
Unlike Nikon and Sony, Canon currently does not have a 28-300mm or 28-400mm style lens for the RF system. As a result, the RF 24-240mm is the lens I would choose for a minimal two-lens landscape photography kit. If Canon eventually releases a lens with greater reach in a similar form factor, this recommendation could change.
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Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM
If the cost of the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L is prohibitive, the RF 14-35mm f/4 L is the lens I would recommend instead. It provides an even wider field of view while delivering excellent image quality in a lighter package. Although the slower aperture makes it less suitable for astrophotography, it's an excellent landscape photography lens and a compelling lower-cost alternative.
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Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L combines excellent image quality with an extremely useful focal range, making it one of the most versatile lenses in Canon's lineup. In most camera systems, I tend to prefer a 24-105mm lens over a 24-70mm because the additional reach is often more useful than a wider aperture for landscape photography. If I were shooting Canon today, this is the standard zoom lens I would choose.
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Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Although landscape photography is often associated with wide-angle lenses, telephoto lenses are equally important. The Canon RF 100-500mm allows you to isolate distant subjects, simplify compositions, and capture scenes that would be impossible with a wider lens. Combined with excellent image quality throughout the zoom range and additional reach compared to many competing telephoto zooms, it's the telephoto lens I would choose for a Canon landscape photography system focused on maximizing image quality.
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Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
If the cost of the Canon RF 100-500mm is prohibitive, the Canon RF 100-400mm is the telephoto lens I would recommend instead. It provides the focal lengths that make telephoto landscape photography so useful while delivering excellent value for the money. While it doesn't match the image quality or build quality of Canon's premium L-series telephoto zooms, it performs remarkably well for its price. For photographers looking to reduce the overall cost of a Canon landscape photography kit, it's an easy recommendation.
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Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM
The Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM is the lens I would choose when astrophotography is the priority. The fast aperture allows more light to reach the sensor, making it easier to capture cleaner images of the night sky while keeping ISO values and exposure times under control. For landscape photographers interested in astrophotography, it's one of the most compelling lenses currently available in Canon's RF lineup.
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Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM
I also like having access to a fast 35mm lens. The narrower field of view can create a different perspective compared to an ultra-wide lens, and the f/1.4 aperture is fantastic for astrophotography. A 35mm lens is also useful for creating panoramic images of the night sky, allowing for larger, higher-resolution final images. For photographers who enjoy landscape astrophotography, the Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM is an excellent complement to the RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM.
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Final Thoughts
If there's one idea I hope this guide communicates, it's that there isn't a single perfect landscape photography kit. Every gear decision involves tradeoffs, and the best choice depends on your priorities, budget, and the way you actually photograph.
For some photographers, a versatile two-lens kit will provide everything they need while keeping size and weight to a minimum. Others may prefer a three-lens kit built around dedicated wide-angle, standard, and telephoto zooms in order to maximize image quality and flexibility.
Neither approach is inherently right or wrong. The goal is to build a system that you're excited to use and willing to carry into the field. After all, even the best gear only provides value if it's with you when the light gets good.